


Perso-Dan

by kawaiikanai



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Chobits, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 14:35:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 21,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3695963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kawaiikanai/pseuds/kawaiikanai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I open the door to the shop, the bell above greeting me and alerting the store owner of a customer. I’ve never been in a shop like this, but I’ve always slowed my stride past the windows, gazing at the latest models displayed there. Now that I’m out of the house and making enough money from my new job, I can finally afford my own Persocom.

I always wanted one of my own; watching the one my parents own as it cleaned the house, fascinated. I never knew how they worked, though, and still really don’t. That’s why I’ve enlisted the help of my friend, Chris, now entering the shop behind me with his own Persocom, PJ, in tow. Chris seems to know how to keep his Persocom in check and buy all the right software for him, so he should be able to help me pick one out that fits my needs. Nothing fancy, just basic household stuff and maybe internet games.

The store owner comes out of a back room, greeting me with a handshake, “Hello, sir. What can I help you with today?”

“I’m looking for a Persocom. I’m thinking of a refurbished one so it’s a bit cheaper.” My new job pays well, but not that well. I also don’t want to get one of those miniature, almost chibi style models. They’re cute, but with my track of losing things I’m not about to risk misplacing an expensive piece of hardware.

The shop owner, Tom by his nametag, tells me they have a wide selection of refurbished models, all factory reset and good as new. Chris steps up and starts asking Tom lots of techy questions and having PJ calculate price ranges; all of it flying right over my head. I suppose I should leave Chris to the technical stuff while I take a look around.

I scan the low shelves, the Persocoms lined up like dolls on display; some sitting or standing in different poses. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were just detailed mannequins modeling swimsuits. None of them are really jumping at me saying ‘buy me’ yet. They really just blend together; an array of different coloured hairs and sizes, but mostly the same face.

I pass by the door the owner came out of earlier and stop, noticing a pair of legs hanging off of a table. I wander towards it, entering what must be a workshop. The walls are lined with hard-drives, motherboards, different limbs and hair pieces. It looks like Gepetto’s toy shop with an upgrade.

On the closest workbench is a Persocom; sitting lopsided with wires hanging out of its back panel and cable ports on the sides of his head. Tom must have been working on this one before we came it. I get closer, trying to see the Persocom’s face but it’s covered with dark hazel hair. I reach up, cupping the side of its face and leaning the head up, taking in a sharp breath of the workshop’s humid air.

This Persocom is gorgeous. Its eyes, lifeless yet shining under the fluorescent lighting, are a deep brown, almost black. The face, so innocent and lightly airbrushed with freckles, shows no emotion yet somehow seems sad to me.

The owner comes into the workshop and I drop the Persocom’s face, its head lolling to the side as I take a step back. “I, uh… sorry for waltzing right in here.”

Tom waves me away, “It’s fine. Were you looking at this one? You probably won’t want it.”

I look over the Persocom, hair once again covering its face. “Why? Is it broken?”

“No, it’s not broken.” Tom says, sitting on the stool in front of the workbench, “but you can say it’s damaged.”

Chris comes in, leaning against the door frame and PJ peaking over his shoulder. “What do you mean damaged?”

“Well, usually when I reset a model, the memory drive is completely erased, allowing a blank slate for the new owner.” He explains, twirling a set of pliers in his hand, “but when I reset this one there was still some memories left. It’s like when you have to defrag an old desktop computer; there are fragments left but I’m afraid it’s from corrupt data. I’ll have to completely remove the memory chip and get a new one, which will cost me.”

“Well, will having the fragments of data hurt it at all?” I ask, knowing a little bit about what he’s talking about. I’ve at least had some experience with older computers.

“No, not really. There would just be data left over from the previous owner. It would be more like a hand-me-down Persocom than a refurbished one.” Tom says, sighing.

“I don’t mind that.” I say, a plan forming in my head. “How about this: you give me a fair deal on this Persocom, as is, and it’ll save you the money of buying a new memory for it.”

Chris grabs my shoulder, “Hold up, Phil. You don’t know who the previous owner was or what they did with this Persocom. It could be a sketchy character.”

“Actually, I checked on what little personality data I could find and it was all very passive.” Tom chimes in, clearly wanting to make the deal.

“Chris, I really like this one.” I look over the Persocom again, it’s lanky legs and arms dangling. His body is pretty fit, for a robot. If it were a real guy sitting there in his underwear I’d be blushing like crazy.

“Alright, but you better sign a money back guarantee.” Chris huffs, walking back into the main area of the store.

I sign all of the necessary papers, indeed making sure to get everything in order in case something happens to it. I smile, taking one last peek at the workshop door. Tom just has to finish up some standard procedures and checkups, then he’ll send the Persocom to my apartment. I’ll finally have my own Persocom by tomorrow afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

“Coming!” I shout, running to catch the door. I open it to find two moving men holding a giant box. I step aside and let them through the door, leading them to the living room, the movers making such a ruckus and grunting you’d think they were moving a sofa. “How come it takes two of you? Is it that heavy?”

The men set the box down and take a quick breather. The taller one finally answers. “They’re heavy pre-start up, but once you activate them their weight becomes more proportionate to their body size.” I nod, remembering that it is just a huge computer. Desktop towers alone weigh a lot, I don’t know how many would make up just one Persocom.

I thank them for their hard work and see them out, closing the door behind them. I run back to the living room, almost skidding to my knees in front of the box. I start tearing off the tape, feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. Pulling the first flap away I see a hand poking out of the sea of packing peanuts and I quickly open it the rest of the way, beyond excited.

I sit back, taking in the site of my very own Persocom; looking just like he did yesterday, even better I’d say now that he’s under proper lighting instead of unflattering fluorescence. He looks like he could be asleep, eyes closed and face serene. I notice a note taped to his chest. It’s from the store owner.

The previous owner didn’t leave this model’s manual when he turned him in; but all you have to do to activate it is hit its power button. After initializing you as its new owner, the rest of the set up will come automatically.

Tom

I look over the Persocom, not seeing a button anywhere. Maybe it’s hidden? I start exploring his body, poking at his nose, the circles on his cable port covers; which now that they’re closed I can see resemble yin-yang signs, even his bellybutton, but get no reaction. Where is this freaking button??

Fortunately, I have Tom’s number on a copy of the forms I signed, so I give him a ring. “Hello, Tom? It’s Phil from yesterday.”

“Ah, Phil. I hope your Persocom has found you well.” He says cheerfully.

“Yes, well, he’s here, but I need to activate him.” I tell him, rubbing the back of my neck as my eyes still scan over his body, trying to look for any indication of a button.

“Did you not get the note I left?”

“I did, but that’s the thing; I can’t find the button. I’ve tried everything.” I start nudging his arm, like he’ll wake up on his own.

“Well, on male models it’s located anally.”

I almost drop the phone. I recover, holding my shirt like I’m having a heart attack. “What?! Why is it there?”

“It’s usually placed somewhere out of sight and out of the way of getting bumped. On female models it’s located on the cli-“

“OK! I get it.” I wave my hand for him to stop like he can see it. “So, I really have to press it?”

“If you want it to turn on, yeah. Remember; it’s just a Persocom.”

I look at the body before me, focusing on the one tell-tale sign that it wasn’t really human; its cable port ears. I shake my head, feeling stupid for getting worked up over such a thing. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.” I hang up and stare down at it, still sitting in the box half covered in packaging. I take a deep breath, telling myself to just get this over with.

I place a hand under his thigh and on his shoulder, trying to turn him over. He is really heavy. I push with all my might and manage to roll him onto his side, his face now under the foam peanuts. I shift his leg up a bit, trying to get him into an easier position. Once that’s done I lean back, taking a good look at him.

His boxers are hugging his ass tightly, small but perfectly shaped. I almost slap myself for the thought, my face burning up. Come on, Phil. It’s a hunk of hardware, not a real guy. Quit having these kinds of thoughts and get this over with. I don’t need a giant Persocom paperweight.

I gulp and reach my hand down the waistband of his underwear. My middle finger grazes his entrance and I cover my mouth, feeling beyond uncomfortable. It’s all or nothing, Phil, just go for it. I finally press in, his inside feeling soft but oddly cold. I only get about to my second knuckle before feeling something round. I press it and hear a whirring sound. I quickly pull my finger out as the Persocom starts to move. His legs curl up, various beeps and dings occurring from every part of him. His arms tuck under him, pushing his torso up out of the packing peanuts. His eyes open and I’m met with the same beautiful rosewood brown from yesterday, lights springing to life behind them. He looks around the apartment, peanuts falling from his hair.

“Uh…” What do I say? Good morning?

He turns to look at me over his shoulder, the lights in his eyes scanning over me. “Are you one of Master’s friends?” he asks and his voice is as heavenly as I imagined.

“No, uh… I’m your new owner. I’m Phil.” I put my hand out to shake but then take it back, the gesture seeming weird.

“Did Master sell me again?” The Persocom shifts in the box, now sitting facing me with a leg on either side of him.

“No, your previous owner turned you in. Then I bought you. You remember your old master?” Tom said this would happen, I just hope it doesn’t interfere with any new data I may give him.

“Yes, I do. Some basic skills he loaded into me and a few past events. Nothing more.”

I let this sink in. On the brightside, that means there are some skill software I won’t have to buy. And Chris thought this would be a bad idea?

“Since you are my new owner, we have to set up basics.” He begins explaining things like knowing my schedule and an alarm clock system. I rattle them off to him and he seems to accept them all with no problem.

“One last thing.” I remember, “Do you have a name?” I hadn’t put much thought into it, but I should call him something so I didn’t have to go around saying, ‘Hey, Persocom!’”

“My Master usually called me ‘Dan’. He said it was simple.”

It seems to suit him; I might as well keep it. “Well, Dan,” I smile, “welcome to your new home.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

Dan is human and we were together. He still has his cable port covers on the side of his head, but he looks at me and laughs like it’s a joke, pulling them off and revealing ears underneath. He’s so adorable, I wish I could find a real boyfriend like him.  
Things start to get steamy, Dan crawling on top of me for some reason and I find myself jolting awake, being greeted by sun in my eyes and morning wood. I pull the duvet over my eyes, wanting to sink back into the dream and let it continue. Instead I sigh, knowing I’ll have to get up soon for work anyway, rolling onto my back, my hand making its way to my pyjama pants to fix my growing problem.

My hand meets something soft and I freeze for a moment before throwing the blanket off. I stare down at Dan, fingers poised just above my pants. He looks up at me, a chipper smile plastered on his face and head hovering dangerously close over my crotch. “Good morning, Master. It’s time to wake up.”

My hand covers my erection, embarrassed at how much it’s sticking out already. How did I not notice him under the covers before?! Does he have ninja software of something? “What are you doing?!”

“Waking you up for work.” His fingers tuck into the waistband of my pants and I grab one of his hands to stop him. What the hell kind of wakeup call is this?!

Despite my resistance, he still manages to pull more of my pants down one handed. My face burns as only a little bit of cloth remains between my cock and him, my hand not doing much to cover it. “Dan,” he moves to pull my hand away from myself but stops, looking at me again. He looks so damn innocent; it’s hard for me to register that he’s actually stripping me right now. “Why are you doing this?”

“This is always how I’d wake up my old Master.” He answers bluntly. His head comes down and before I can utter another protest his tongue glides across the hollow of my now exposed hips, making me gasp and let go of his hand to cover my mouth.

What kind of person wakes up every morning with their Persocom doing this? They’d have to program that into them and everything, the pervert. Dan’s tongue moves ever closer to my cock, looking up at me as if to tease me. My other hand comes up to his hair, meaning to stop him and try to talk some sense into him. He takes it the complete opposite way, a sign of granted permission to lick the tip of my cock, the touch over stimulating and making me buck up before I can stop myself.

I bite my lip, his tongue feeling warm and wet and amazing and real; making my mind a blank. He licks me up and down slowly, tongue flattening out and contouring around my shaft. I try to tell myself to stop him, my hand is still there on his head and could easily push him away; but as I feel the head of my cock being encased in warmth the only thing left to do is cover my eyes with my arm, letting out a shameful moan.

He continues to make his way down, his mouth hot and slick around me, until I feel his lips at my base. Once there, he begins a rhythm, sucking when he comes up and flicking his tongue across my slit. I set my mind elsewhere, thinking if I just keep my eyes shut like this I can imagine it’s a real guy doing this to me and not Dan; but try as I might I feel myself drawing close I dare to look down. Dan’s lips are perfectly wrapped around me, eyes now closed in concentration and expression never changing as his tongue works it’s magic.

I manage to groan out a ‘close’ but Dan doesn’t stop, continuing his work until I jerk up into his mouth, not flinching as I unload deep in his throat. I lie there, spent and sweaty as Dan sits up, kneeling patiently between my legs. I look up at him, no sign on his face as to what he just did. “You really did that every morning with your old master?”

“Yes.” He says, starting to climb off the bed. “I’ll make you breakfast while you shower. You have to leave for work in an hour.”

He leaves the room and I sigh, brain still humming slightly from my high. This was a one-time thing. Once I’m done with my shower I’ll explain to him that that’s not how he’s supposed to wake me up. I just… Dan was there to help me out when I needed it… That’s what Persocom’s do, right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I arrive at work, pulling at my collar and tie in discomfort. The station is buzzing as usual, cameras strewn about and assistants running around on errands. I narrowly miss a Persocom balancing stacks of coffee trays as I enter the door to the news room.

Everyone is taking their places and I haven’t even gotten on my camera make-up yet. I grab some one from the dressing department and ask them to bring some to the news desk as I make my way towards it, spotting Gary and the anchor Persocom Linda, already taking their seats.

“Phil, you’re running a bit later than usual.” Gary points out, shuffling his papers.

“It’s been an odd morning.” To say the least; but no need to go into details. I’m still trying to get the image of Dan out of my head. I have to try to focus, pushing it to the back of my mind for now.

The make-up person comes back and puts a light powder on my face, just enough so I don’t look shiny under the bright lights. I’m still not use to all of this on camera business, never really having attention draw to me like this. I was a nervous wreck my first day, visibly shaking and pointing to all the wrong things, but I’ve gotten a lot better. I get in position in front of the green screen, adjusting my tie again and taking a deep breath.

“Are you alright, Phil?” Linda asks in monotone.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I assure her and myself. I need to focus on my job now. It’s been like a dream to finally land a job as a weatherman; having wanted to be one since I was a kid. As soon as I saw the job listing I applied, throwing in every credential I could think of. When they actually called me up wanting an interview I was ecstatic. Chris keeps bugging me to come work for him at his art gallery instead, but I don’t really see the appeal.

It’s only been a few weeks since I started working here, but I already feel welcome. Everyone is fairly nice and Gary, having been the weatherman before me and then promoted, is always giving me encouragement and advice.

I see the camera man point to start rolling and I try to clear my mind, the broadcast beginning. I stand waiting for my queue, my thoughts drifting back to Dan for a moment. I told him about the correct way to wake me up in the morning, not wanting another mishap like today, and he seemed to take the new information easily. I then ordered him to clean up the house while I was gone, so it should keep him busy for most of the day; but I wonder what he’ll do once he’s done? What do Persocoms do in their free time? Do they just power down or something?

I imagine Dan sitting on the couch, hands perfectly folded in his lap, waiting for me to come home and give him more orders. He looks so cute when he’s- NO. I shake the thought away, seeing the red light on the camera facing me blink on and I quickly switch my thoughts back to work.

I rattle off the words on the prompter, gesturing to the blank screen behind me while looking at the mini TV that shows the image. “Both London and Manchester are looking like clear skies today with a high of 20 degrees. On the flip side there will be some rain in the city of Dan- er, Lancaster, bringing the temperature down to 15 degrees.” I cover my fumble quickly, a small mistake but I’m glad the make-up will cover my blush.

I wrap things up for the day, pulling off my tie as I let out a deep breath. Gary claps me on the shoulder as he walks past to the break room, startling me. “It was just a small slip. Don’t stress over it.” He flashes me his camera ready smile.

“I know, thanks.” I nod at him then get ready to leave. I stop into the bathroom, washing off the make-up and feeling the cold water sooth me. It bothers me that the fumble was about Dan more than the actual fumble itself. I seriously haven’t been able to think straight since this morning because of him. I’ve only had Dan for a day and he’s already causing me stress like this. Did I make the right choice in picking him? Should I take him back to Tom and ask for a plainer Persocom?

No, it’s not Dan’s fault, it’s mine for being so stupid. He’s just a Persocom. I just have to get more experience being around him and get use to interacting with him differently than with a human. I haven’t had much practice, so it should take some time.

I sling my tie and jacket over my arm and leave, hailing a taxi and hoping to sort some things out once I’m home.

Once I’m in the door I throw my jacket and tie on the back of the sofa and call for Dan. I hear the pitter patter of feet down the hallway and he comes into the living room. He’s only in his underwear and I look away, feeling my face flush. “Dan, where are the pyjamas I gave you?”

“They got dirty while I was cleaning so I put them in the wash.” He states, and I rub my face in frustration. He can’t just walk around the house in his underwear!

“Alright, I was going to buy you some clothes soon anyway, we might as well go now.”

He walks up to me, hands clasped behind his back and it takes all my might to not look down. “Ready.”

“No, you have to go put some clothes on first.” I explain.

“But aren’t we going out to buy some?”

I stare at him, wondering if he’s really this oblivious or if his previous master installed him with a mind of a child. “Just go grab some of my clothes, which ever you find first, and put them on.”

He turns and leaves for my bedroom, a few minutes passing before he comes back in my black lounge pants and a red button up shirt. The shirt is unbuttoned, leaving it to casually flow behind him.

“Do you not know how to button a shirt?” I ask, pulling at the collar of my own pale blue dress shirt.

“I have no significant data on wearing clothes. It is new to me.” He says, stopping in front of me again. I sigh, reaching down and starting to button his shirt from top to bottom. My fingers graze at his soft skin, making me clear my throat in awkwardness, until I fit together the last button.

He smiles up at me, “Thank you for showing me. I’ll remember how to do it next time.”

I nod silently, straightening out his collar, my hands lingering far too long near his face. “Let’s get going.”

“Alright, Master.” He says, starting to follow me out the door but I stop, turning around.

“Dan, you don’t have to call me ‘master’.” I tell him.

He cocks his head at me. “But you are my master.”

“I know, but,” How do I put this? It just sounds weird to me; like he’s a slave or something. “Just call me Phil.”

“Ok, Phil.” And we head out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

We make our way down the street to the shopping center, Dan keeping by my side the whole way. He faces forward, hands neatly folded in front of him. Once in a while, though, as I look over to make sure he’s still beside me I’ll see his eyes veering off. They’ll flick towards a siren noise or linger on a mother and child. Then he’ll catch himself and straighten up, looking only forward again. It’s odd how he seems to be almost curious of the world around him but act as if he shouldn’t. Like a child that’s been told not to stare or ask questions.

I brush the thought away, the clothing store in sight. “So, Dan, what kind of clothes do you want?” I ask him, not sure what he prefers.

“Kind?” he maneuvers around another shopper, brushing against my arm for a moment before moving away again.

“Oh, that’s right. You said you were new to clothes.” That and he’s a Persocom; why am I asking his opinion? “I guess your other master just gave you clothes to wear.”

“Not really.” I look at him, wondering what he means but as we step into the clothing store I ignore it for now, heading for the men’s section.

I’m not really sure what to buy for him, only ever dressing myself, so I tell him to just let me know if he seems anything familiar. After a few minutes of mindlessly sifting through racks of shirts I spot a sales lady and flag her over. After some explaining she happily helps me pick out a few articles of clothing to try on Dan, who just stares at the foreign objects I’ve put in his hands. “Alright, Dan, I need you to go try these on for me and let me know if they fit.”

He just stands there looking from the clothes to me and back. I sigh, grabbing his shoulders and turning him around, pushing him towards the changing rooms. I find an empty one and nudge him towards it. “Do you know how to unbutton your shirt?”

He shakes his head so I tell him to watch me while I unbutton the top one. I unfasten it and take a step back, instructing him to go into the room and do the rest himself. I close the door after him and lean against the wall opposite, waiting while he changes. After a few moments I see his shirt fall to the floor, followed shortly by his pants. I break my eyes away from them, staring off at the discarded clothes rack near the entrance to the changing rooms.

Soon enough Dan calls for me, telling me he’s done. The door clicks, opening and I’m glad I’m leaning against the wall right now. The clothes the lady helped me pick out are perfect, a plain black shirt and matching skinny jeans. They’re so simple but look so good on him, the darkness of the black making his hair seem a lighter shade in comparison and matching the black on his cable port covers. I stop my gawking, shaking my head and getting back to business. “They look like they fit perfectly. How about you change back and we’ll get ready to check out.”

He nods and goes back inside, changing and handing me the to-be bought clothes once he’s done. We make our way towards the front, passing between the shirt racks and the underwear section. I see the lady from before and catch up to her, telling her we’re ready to check out. She pulls a tiny Persocom out of her pocket, no bigger than a phone and has big goggle eyes. She proceeds to scan my items with it, the eyes lighting up red and computing the cost.

I feel a tug on my sleeve and turn around to see Dan, standing behind me. “We’re almost done here,” I tell him, “then we can go back home and put on your own clothes.”

“I found something familiar.” He informs me, smiling like he’s proud of himself.

“Really? What?”

He hold up a pair of leopard print underwear and I immediately feel my face burn. I snatch it out of his hands before the lady sees but it’s too late, hearing her giggle behind me. Out of the entire store, this is what he finds?! No shirts or pants or accessories, but some pair or racy underwear? Who in the world was his old master to be putting such things on him? “Dan, you- Are you sure these look familiar to you?” I hope that he’s mistaken, that his fragmented memory has mixed him up with something else, but he nods.

“Well, he will need more than just his stock underwear.” The lady pipes up, holding back a smile. “Shall I ring this up as well?”

I stare at Dan, his face unmoving, then I toss the underwear at the lady. She scans them and put them in a bag with the rest of Dan’s new clothes before I swiftly drag Dan out of the store, vowing to do the rest of my shopping for him online from now on.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

It’s been about a week since I bought Dan and things have been going a lot more smoothly. He helps me keep on schedule for work and does all the housekeeping and cooking so I don’t have to. It’s really relaxing coming home to a clean house and having food made for me. It lets me have more down time.

I’ve also straightened out most of his… misunderstandings. No more surprising wake up calls, just him gently shaking me awake and greeting me with breakfast. I’ve also taught him that he can’t just walk around the house in his underwear when his clothes are dirty. He has his own clothes now and needs to wear them at all times; otherwise I’ll keep having heart attacks.

I turn off the TV, smelling the stir-fry Dan is cooking and can tell dinner will be ready soon. I bring my legs up onto the couch, leaning over the back of it to watch Dan work in the kitchen behind me. He’s so methodical when he cooks; timing every step precisely and getting everything done at the same time. He puts so much effort into it.

My head tilts to the side, my eyes scanning down his body. I’ve given up trying to stop myself from checking him out. It’s no use; him being too attractive. I just have to keep in mind that he’s not a real person and it should be ok. His head is down, concentrating on stirring the pan, exposing the nape of his neck. His slim waist, snug in his shirt and having a slight curve. Even down to his ass that’s accentuated in his skinny jeans.

I let out a sigh, wishing Dan was flesh and bone. “Why can’t I find a boyfriend as adorable as you?” I ask rhetorically.

Dan finishes cooking, now plating the food and setting it at my spot at the table. I sit down, digging in and savoring the flavor. He really is a great cook. He pulls out the chair around the corner from me and sits, placing his hands in his lap. “Phil?”

“Hmm?” I mumble, mouth full of veggies.

“What’s a boyfriend?”

I stop chewing, thinking a moment. He’s started opening up and asking more questions lately. Anything he sees and doesn’t understand he asks me about, and I’m happy to inform him. Although, this is kind of a hard question in such few words. “Well, a boyfriend, or girlfriend, is someone you care about and they care about you. You want them to be happy and they make you happy. You spend lots of time with them and go places with them.” I watch as the lights in Dan’s eyes flicker, taking in the information as I take a drink.

When he’s done, he looks over to me. “So, am I your boyfriend?”

I almost choke, slapping my chest with my palm and coughing. Once I recover I look for some kind of sign that he’s joking, but he’s not. Why would he? “What?”

Dan holds up his fingers, counting off. “I take care of you and the house and you take care of my maintenance, you spend a lot of time with me and take me with you everywhere except work, and my only real purpose as your Persocom is to make you happy. Those are the requirements you listed off as being a boyfriend.”

I swallow, figuratively eating my own words. “Yes, well, that does sound like it, but it’s not…”

“I don’t understand.” Do I really have to spell things out to him? He’s cocking his head again at me, his fringe falling over his eye. I hate when he does that, making me want to brush it out of his face.

“Once things get serious…” I look at my plate, feeling like I’m giving ‘the talk’ to some teenager, “you usually get physical with them.”

“Physical?”

“You know, make love…” Why am I even explaining this to him? He doesn’t even need to know any of this stuff.

He looks down at the table, eyes closing and I think he’s searching for information again. “You mean sex?”

To put it bluntly. “Yes.”

“Then, I do fit all of the requirements. Persocoms are able to have intercourse.” He states, not looking back up.

“I- no!” I can’t even form sentences now. “What?” How can such an innocent voice be spouting those words?

“Persocoms are fully functional and capable of having sex. We have our own supply of bodily fluids that can be refilled as needed and there are various softwares you can buy to teach us different skills.”

“But… You’re a robot!” I’m blown away. People actually do that?! I mean, obviously Dan’s owner before me seems kind of pervy from what little information Dan’s shared about him; but did Dan and him actually…? No, they couldn’t have. “Humans and robots… they shouldn’t do those things!”

He finally looks at me again, looking confused. “Why?”

My mouth stays agape, not knowing how to answer. It’s wrong? It’s inhuman? People shouldn’t have sex with machines? “Just, because.” I end, pushing away my plate, appetite now gone. I stand up, heading for the hallway then stop. I turn back to see Dan sitting there staring at me, big brown eyes still looking confused, almost hurt if I didn’t know better. I break my gaze away, not wanting to see him look at me like that. I don’t know what that look means and any guesses I have all spell trouble. “Finish the dishes. I’m going to bed.”

“Ok.” Dan obliges as I stalk down the hallway to my bedroom, sulking under the covers as I hear the sink in the kitchen run; soon drifting off to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I get up before Dan is scheduled to wake me up, quickly dressing and heading for the door. I catch a glimpse of him sitting by the window in sleep mode, eyes closed and head leaning on the frame. I desperately want to get a closer look, the rays of the morning sun illuminating his face is the sweetest of ways, but I stop myself. I lock the door behind me and stroll down the pavement, using my extra time before work to gather my thoughts.

Why does Dan have to always do this to me? Why do I have to get so worked up about it? He’s a Persocom. He doesn’t have emotions and opinions like humans. They express certain things, yes, but it’s just programing. They’re supposed to act however you teach them to act.

I pass a playground, making me smile as the children carelessly play, oblivious to any sort of stress or problems. What I wouldn’t give to be like that again.

A boy, no older than six, slips and falls off the monkey bars, landing in the dirt with a dull thud. A nanny Persocom rushes over from the nearby bench, coddling the child and kissing him on the forehead. I stop, looking at the Persocom’s face. She looks at the boy, smiling and no doubt telling him he’ll be ok. When she hugs him, burying his face in her shoulder, her expression changes. She frowns.

Her concerned expression isn’t for the boy; who can’t see her face, but because it’s just her expression. Why? Is she showing how she feels? Concern? If the boy isn’t injured, why should she be worried? Is she actually… sad that he got hurt?

I make myself keep moving, needing to get to work. My head aches, filled with so many thoughts I can’t sort out. I sometimes see Dan at home, staring off into space while cleaning. It’s not like when you usually space out; he’ll actually pause what he’s doing for a moment, completely still, then continue. At first I thought he was having glitches and wondered if I should call up Tom; but now… Is Dan just lost in thought? What goes on in his brain all day?

I enter the station and get one of the Persocoms to grab me coffee and some aspirin, my head pounding even more now. Once I get them I take the aspirin down with the coffee, practically chugging it. The rest of the work day is a blur, all lights and sounds and voices that don’t really register.

Around the end of the day, and my fourth coffee, my daze is broken by Gary mentioning Persocom’s in his final report. I stand off to the side behind the cameras, Gary smiling his trademark smile as he reads the prompter.

“In Persocom related news, protests have been sparked in the U.S. and Canada by rights activists, saying, quote ‘Persocoms have just as much free will as people, but are oppressed into learning they are not equal.’ Many activists are trying to pass a law in parliament that will allow Persocoms to have more control and say in what software they are made to download and whether or not they even ‘want’ to stay with their owners.”

I stand there, cup now empty, staring at the floor. So there are people out there that believe Persocoms are people; or at least equal. They think they have free will and emotions. Is that possible? I know they act like they do, but I thought it was just programing…

The news finishes up and I catch Gary before he even gets out of his anchor chair. “Say, Gary? I was wondering what your opinion is on that Persocom story.”

He folds his arms, leaning back. “There are some crazy people out there that are willing to believe that Persocoms are like people. Some even protest the right to marry their Persocoms.”

I’m taken aback; this being the first time I’ve heard of such a thing. “There are really people who marry Persocoms?”

“Oh, yeah. They say they love them and that their Persocoms love them back. It’s becoming more and more relevant these days.” He starts gathering up his papers and I let him be, needing to leave.

People who love Persocoms; and the Persocoms love them back. Is this real? I’m not… I’m not that weird for feeling like this? I wouldn’t say I love Dan, but I feel… something. It’s not just that he’s attractive. When I get home and he greets me with a smile I feel lighter, finding myself smiling, too. He cares for me and does little things that he knows will make me happy even though I don’t tell him to.

His curiosity about everything is amazing; always asking questions and taking in the information with a childlike charm. He’s constantly in my mind; the way he walks beside me and says my name, me knowing that he’ll always be beside me. If he didn’t like it, he wouldn’t smile as much, right? I never told him to smile so much; he just does. Because he wants to.

When you think about it, the human brain runs on electric pulses that are sort of programmed to feel a certain way when certain things happen. We’re programmed to smile when we’re happy and cry when we’re sad. No one ever told us that’s what we’re supposed to do, we just do it; because it’s how we feel. Persocoms could be the same way.

I sit down on a bench near the shopping center, holding my head in my hands. Even if I convince myself that I’m not a total freak; what about everyone else? Obviously it’s been taking protests to get people to look at human and Persocom relationships in a different light. Even if there’s something with me and Dan… could it even work? Could I deal with the ridicule?

I pull out my phone, needing to hear a voice of reason. After only a few rings, the line picks up. “Hello, Kendall residence.”

“Uh, hello, PJ.” With all this Persocom related nonsense in my brain right now, I didn’t really want to talk to one. “Is Chris there?”

He tells me to hang on while he gets Chris and I soon hear him come to the phone. “Hey, Phil. What’s up?”

“Chris…” I rub at my neck, not sure how to word my thoughts right now, “I need some advice.”

“Alright.”

“What would you do if, say, you wanted to be with someone but… you didn’t think people would like it?”

“That’s a tough one.” He hums, “I didn’t know you liked anyone in the first place.”

“I- It’s kind of sudden.” Admittedly, it’s very sudden. I’ve only had Dan a week but I already feel this way. Did these feelings start when I first saw him in the shop; sitting there like a broken doll? Then he came to my house and moved and spoke and I guess it was all downhill from there… “But I’m sure of it.”

“Well, if you like them that much, who cares what other people think?” he chuckles, always the confident one. “Do they like you back?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Then I say try. Worry about finding out their feeling first, then the other stuff later.”

I wish I could, but it’s more difficult than Chris makes it out to be. I sigh, about to express more doubts to him. Then I spot it; across the way in a little shop window. Something so simple I’ve probably passed it a thousand times but as I look at it now an idea sparks in my brain that could well make things work out for me. “Thanks, Chris. I have to go now.” He tells me to take care and I hang up, making my way towards the shop; hoping my stupid idea helps me once I get home and finally confront Dan.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I slam the door shut behind me, throwing my jacket off and loosening my tie, shivering against the cold of the apartment but ignoring it. “Dan?” I call, “Can you come here?”

Dan comes down the hall, a smile on his face and I feel my chest warm. “Welcome home, Phil. Was work alright today?”

“Yes, it was fine.” I bite my lip, hands tightening around the bag behind my back, “Dan… If I asked you to try something, would you want to?”

“Yes, I would.” He agrees immediately.

“Now, I don’t mean ‘would you do it’, I mean ‘would you want to.”

His eyes don’t waver from me, the lights in them flickering for a moment as he thinks over the question. “Would me trying something make you happy?”

I debate answering, not wanting to coax him into anything. I want it to be absolutely his decision. “Yes, it may.”

“Then I want to.” He says smiling bigger now and I feel my heart almost melt. I think I’m too far gone to stop my decision now, so I might as well try. I don’t think I’ll be happy until I know.

I open the bag, taking out a big, fluffy hat with ear flaps on the side. I toss aside the bag and carefully pull it onto Dan’s head; it fitting just right and looking perfect on him. More importantly, the ear flaps cover any sign of his cable ports. If I’d met him like this, I’d have thought he was just a timid boy.

Dan stares at me, trying to look at the thing atop his head. “Did you buy this for me?”

“Yes, I did. It looks great on you.” I pat the top of his head.

“Thank you.” He grins, “Is this the thing you wanted me to try?”

“No.” I say, heart pounding, “This is.” I place my hand on his cheek, the same one I touched when I first saw him, and I pull him to me. My lips barely brush against his before my other hand comes up as well, fully pressing my mouth to his.

There’s no difference between him and the other people I’ve kissed, not that there have been many. His lips are warm and soft, making me wish I’d done this sooner but it wouldn’t have been the same. I didn’t want to force myself on him.

He doesn’t move at first, and I wonder if I should pull away until I feel him press back, the pressure barely there but enough for me to know. I even feel a hand graze against my neck.

I pull back, resting my head on his fuzzy hat and staring into his eyes. “What do you think?”

“That was a kiss.”

“Yes. Have you kissed before?” I know his previous master did some ‘things’ to Dan, but I’m still not sure what. I dread asking.

“Yes, but it was different. This was gentler.” He admits, then his eyes turn down, hand falling to mine and pulling it from his face. “Why did you kiss me?”

“Because…” This is even harder than I imagined. “Dan, I like you.” I feel a little ridiculous for going through with this, but also relieved to finally admit it.

“Like me?”

“Yes… I care about you; and… not in the normal way I should.” I feel my hands getting sweaty in Dan’s and he looks down at them, a look of concern on his face.

“You seem very worried. Is it bad that you care about me?”

His face… Is that hurt? Eyes staring at me as he still holds onto my hand; concerned for my well-being. “I’m not too sure, really. But… it also makes me happy. So, I was wondering… if you felt the same.” I can’t breathe, my chest is so constricted, waiting for his answer.

He looks at me a long time and I wonder if he misunderstood me or maybe that kind of question doesn’t compute for a Persocom. Then, he takes a step closer. “I feel… needed by you when I am around. It makes me feel useful in ways I am not accustom to, but I prefer it to the former.”

I think that’s meant to be good, but I’m still not sure. “So-“

“If I say I like you, too; will you treat me the same way as before?” he blurts out, “Caring for me and asking me to do household things?”

I’ve never seen him like this before. He’s being so animated and emotional and… human-like. “Of course; if anything I’d treat you better. Do you like the work you do? Does it make you happy?”

He nods, “I am… ‘happy’ to make you happy. I want to make your home clean and make you food you like and greeting you when you are home because I know you like those things and I need to repay you for treating me so well.”

My shoulders finally relax, the weight of the day lifted. He may not know how to express himself very well, but his feelings are clear. “I think from now on things will be a little different. In a good way.” I kiss the top of his head, his fuzzy hat tickling my nose, “And definitely more kisses.”

He just smiles at me contently, and I can’t help but smile back. A shiver runs down my spine and I’m reminded of the impending coldness of the room. “Why is it so cold in here?”

“The radiator stopped working around one o’ clock.” Dan explains, “I called a repairman, as I am unfit with that type of software; and he said he’d stop by tomorrow to fix it.”

I let out a sigh, but my mood is only dampened a fraction. I’m in too high of spirits right now to let this one setback get me down. “Oh well. It’s just one night, right? It’s just going to suck.”

“Phil?” Dan tugs on my shirt.

“Hmm?”

“If you want, my body can generate heat to keep you warm.”

I stare down at him, his expression so innocent yet suggestive I think if he could blush he would. “You mean, you’d come cuddle with me?”

His eyebrows furrow, head cocking. “Cuddle?”

“Um, well, it’s when you lie down with someone and hold them.”

“Just hold them?”

“Yeah.”

He smiles sheepishly, dimples showing. “Then, yes. Do you want to cuddle with me tonight to keep you warm?” I manage a nod before grabbing his sleeve, pulling him towards my room. He stumbles after me, pointing towards the kitchen. “Phil, I haven’t made your dinner yet.”

“I can’t eat right now.” My stomach is so full of butterflies right now I can’t even think of eating. We get into my room and it’s just as cold as the living room, making me change quickly into pyjamas and scurrying under the blankets. Once I’m under I look over to Dan, standing next to the bed, looking down at me. I pull the duvet away from the space next to me, gesturing for him to lie down. He does, some-what cautiously, and I soon have my arms around him, his hands on my chest and head under my chin.

I try to get comfortable but his poofy hat is so big it’s getting in my way. Biting my lip, I pull it off, setting it on the floor next to me then turning back to Dan. I stare down at his cable port covers, big and flat against his head. It’s not that I don’t like the look of them; it’s just what they mean. It’s going to take some time getting use to the idea of being with a Persocom; and getting over his cable ports is a big step.

“Are you ok?” Dan asks, looking up at me. “You stiffened up for a moment.”

I smile down at him, then close my eyes, kissing the top of his head. “I’m just fine. Let’s get some sleep.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I throw my jacket on its hook and walk into the apartment, letting out a sigh of content at the thought of the next few days off work. I’ll be able to spend some quality time with Dan, exploring our newfound relationship. It’s been a few days since I finally confessed to him and I think it’s taking a while for Dan’s new status to sink in. He’s awkward around me now; like he’s unsure about what I’m doing or what my intent is. Because of this I’ve held back on too much affection for now, keeping it to just hugs and cuddles which still take a moment for him to adjust to. I’m not sure how to assure him that I’m still the same person as before.

I pause; listening closely for a sign of Dan but instead soft music meets my ears and I let it lead me to the corner of the living room, seeing Dan kneeling in front of my old radio I thought I’d stashed up on my bookshelf.

“Dan? What are you doing?”

He turns to me, eyes a little wide. “You’re home?”

“Yeah.” I laugh, coming to sit beside him. He seems to be listening to a classical station, a piano solo streaming through the crackly speakers. “Did you lose track of time?”

He nods, staring back down at the radio. “The repair man came to fix the heat. I saw a lot of dust behind the radiator when he pulled it off the wall so I thought I should dust some odd places.” He explains, now brushing his hand across the top of the radio. “While I was dusting the top of your bookshelf I bumped this machine and it turned on. The sound made me stop and listen.”

“So you like this music?”

Dan points to the radio. “This machine is called a ‘music?”

“No, this is a radio and the sound coming out of it is called music.” I reach over and turn the dial to turn up the volume. “It’s noise that humans make with their voice and with instruments that express how they feel. There are lots of different types.”

Dan nods, understanding and turning back to the radio. “Which type is this?”

“This is ‘classical’. It’s usually made with pianos and violins.”

Dan smiles. “I like it.”

I stare at him, almost radiating with curiosity and seeming truly happy to be sitting here listening to this music. I want him to be like this all the time; smiling and telling me how he feels.

I turn the dial, static overcoming the music as I start finding more stations, explaining each genre to Dan. To him, rock is ok; lots of sounds colliding that he finds interesting. Rap is bad, the beats slow and boring and the words not making sense to him. Country and pop hold no interest, either. Techno is very weird. Dan explained it as ‘seeming to talk to him but in a different language’. I almost have a heart attack when I find a metal station and the wailing guitar and screaming vocals give Dan’s hearing receptors feedback; him begging me to shut it off.

In the end, we turn back to the classical station; Dan closing his eyes and listening. He says the preciseness of the piano notes speaks to him like the techno did, but much smoother. He compares it to children’s lullabies.

“Dan, you know I think there’s software that lets you learn how to play piano. If you want…”

His eyes shoot open. “Really? You’d let me?”

“Of course.” I laugh, “That way you could make your own music and learn to express yourself more.”

His eyes scan over me for a moment, then his arms reach out, grabbing me around my waist and making me fall back. I’m lost for words as he nuzzles his head into my stomach, the biggest smile I’ve ever seen stretching across his face. “Thank you so much. I would love to play piano.”

I chuckle, arms wrapping around him and brushing my hand through his hair. My hand hits his cable port cover, but quickly dismiss it. I lift his chin, looking at his glimmering eyes. “I want you to tell me if there’s anything else you ever want, ok? I want to make you happy just like you make me happy.”

Dan smiles, nodding and squeezing me a little tighter. “I want to make you the happiest and thank you for letting me learn piano.” He sits up, looking down at me with what I swear is a smirk. “I have to make dinner now but after I will cuddle you as much as you want.”

I laugh, leaning up on my elbows. “Is that the rule, then? Cuddles only after chores?” I joke.

“If I cuddle you before then I’ll never get anything done.”

“Very true.” I sit up all the way, grabbing Dan up into another hug as he’s sitting between my legs. He hugs me back, his warmth spreading over me and I wish I could stay like this forever. I pull back, brushing my fingers across his cheek. “Dan… Can I kiss you?” I can tell he doesn’t like it very much for some reason, so I haven’t tried since our first time; but I really want to right now.

Hesitantly, he nods. I lean in and carefully press my lips to his for only a moment, but it’s all I need to feel like the luckiest man in the world, just to be sitting here with him in my arms.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I lead Dan through the crowded shopping center; a little nervous and paranoid. I made sure Dan had his hat on before we left, but I’m still worried. What if someone realizes he’s a Persocom while I’m holding his hand like this? What would they say? When I first took Dan’s hand he looked so happy, and still does, but… should I let go just in case? I know I’m not the only one that has a relationship with a Persocom, but it’s still not that common and definitely not widely accepted…

I look down at Dan; practically skipping along as we make our way towards the software shop. I’m the one that started this relationship; so I shouldn’t really chicken out now. He’s changed so much. He tells me what he wants and smiles more genuinely now. It’s incredible.

We enter the software shop and find the right kind we need; a copy of Basic to Intermediate Piano. I grab one and pull Dan towards the counter, handing the box to the cashier. She takes it, eyes flicking between Dan and me. I bite my lip but try to play it cool, shoving my credit card across the counter to pay. Does she know? Can she tell that Dan is different? I want to pull my hand back but Dan holds tight, making me even more nervous.

She hands me the bag and I take it, thanking her with a small crack in my voice.

We quickly leave, heading across the way to the music store. Once we get there I’m greeted by an older gentleman, asking what I’m looking for. I tell him about my recent purchase and he smiles, leading me over to the keyboards. I think Dan will only need a small one; I’m not too sure how much he’ll learn from the software and don’t want to get him something too complicated.

I pick one out and the salesman tells me to wait by the counter while he grabs a keyboard from the backroom. Dan is almost buzzing beside me and I laugh, his eyes wide as he stares at the piano selection. “Excited?”

“Yes.” Dan grins. “I hope I have time to play after all my chores today.”

“How about you take a break today.” I suggest, “We’ll get the software installed as soon as were home.”

Dan opens his mouth to say something but I’m suddenly bumped from behind; making me stumble into him. He almost falls over but I grab his shoulders, bringing him to my chest and practically squishing his face against me.

“I am so sorry!” I hear and I turn to see a small young lady, face flush with embarrassment. “I’m so clumsy, I wasn’t paying attention and walked right into you and your boyfriend.”

“It’s alright,” I wave it off, “I can be clumsy myself some times.”

She relaxes, probably glad I didn’t get irritated at her, then smiles sheepishly. “May I say; you two are a cute couple.”

I feel my face heat up. “T-thank you.” I rub at the back of my neck, turning back to Dan. That’s when I notice Dan’s hat. I must have bumped it right off his head; him now holding it in his hands. I stammer, head whipping to the girl. “Oh, uh, no. We’re n-not a couple.”

“Oh?” She says, placing a finger questioningly on her chin, “You sure do look like a couple.”

“I-“ We are, but… How could I explain? She’s clearly seen Dan’s port covers by now. I take a step away from him, wanting to hurry up and get back home.

“Phil?” I can’t look at him, but he must be so confused. I don’t want to deny him like this, but I have to.

“Sarah!” I look up to see the girl smiling; eyes glimmering at the Persocom jogging towards her, their cable ports much like big elf ears and hair in long curls compared to this girls pixie cut. The Persocom smiles back weakly, arms full of shopping bags. “Did you find it?” The girl asks as she takes some of the bags from her Persocom.

The Persocom nods. “Yes, though I had to ask someone where it was. That store is oddly organized.”

The girl laughs, taking her Persocom’s now free hand. I stare, slack jawed as she smiles at me once more before bidding me good day. I’m left flabbergasted. She’s like me; walking around with her Persocom as her girlfriend. Unlike me, she openly admits it; whereas I’m too scared.

I look down at Dan, patiently standing there. I can’t believe I practically just blew him off like that. The girl said we were a cute couple; knowing Dan was a Persocom and being totally fine with it. The only one that has a problem with it still is me…

I see the salesman come by with Dan’s keyboard and I have to throw the thought aside for now, paying for the keyboard and leaving the shop. We stride towards the exit of the shopping center, keyboard in tow as Dan carries his bag. He hasn’t said anything; although he’s put his hat back on without me even telling him to. “Dan… I’m sorry…”

He shakes his head, “I know they bother you. I should have made sure my hat stayed on. I made you upset.”

I shift the keyboard in my arms so I can grab Dan’s arm, stopping him and turning him towards me. “It’s not you, Dan. It’s my fault. I should-“

Dan’s eyes grow wide, a look I’ve never seen before crawling across his face as he peers at something behind me. I follow his gaze to a man looking right back at him, mouth open in excitement. “Is that really you?” He comes closer and Dan grabs my sleeve, fingers tugging tightly.

“It is you! I’d never forget that face.” The man stops in front of us, a look of awe as his eyes trail all over Dan and I feel the need to pull him closer but I’m still burdened by the box. The man turns to me, smiling smugly. “Are you his renter for the night?”

“Renter?” What is this man talking about? And how does he even know Dan?

“Master sold me.” Dan pipes up, just barely audible. “This is my new owner.”

“You lucky dog.” The man slaps a fat hand on my shoulder but I shake it off. “I trust he’s been treating you well?” He winks.

“Uh… yes?” Why would he not? I’m lost; watching this man look over Dan hungrily, hand now on his chin thoughtfully.

“Tell me, sir,” He leans closer, his voice now hushed. “How much would it take for me to rent him from you?”

Dan moves closer and I think I hear a small whine from him. “What are you talking about? I’m not renting you my Persocom.”

He huffs, crossing his arms. “Greedy bastard; though I understand why. His previous owner at least shared his talents with other; and smart to do so. He made a small fortune.”

I shake my head, still not understanding. “Why not just get your own?”

“I have my own.” He waves me away like an idiot, “This one is special.” He takes a step towards Dan, lifting his chin with a finger and looking at him deeply. “Do you remember me?”

Dan nods.

He laughs, smirking. “I bet you do. You were such a little cockslut.”

I almost drop the keyboard as I slap the man’s hand away, bringing Dan into my arms. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“What? You thought I wanted him to come wash my windows?” he laughs, “This Persocom has been passed around so many times I’m surprised it hasn’t gotten its circuits fried. The previous owner loaded him up with every sexual software under the sun; different skills and personalities to suffice whatever fantasy you desire.”

I hug Dan tighter, not believing my ears. This man must be mistaken. Dan isn’t like that at all. But… not only does the man recognize Dan; Dan said he remembers him, too. Is this man really somewhere in Dan’s fragmented data? Has this man really… been with Dan? He said Dan’s been with others as well. Does he remember them, too?

“Come on,” the man pleads, “how’s £30,000 sound? Just for a night?”

I’m taken aback by the figure, but quickly grab Dan’s wrist, rushing him away from this creep and back home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

As soon as we’re home Dan tries to skirt past me and down the hall but I grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks but he doesn’t turn around. We stand there in silence for a moment while I try to figure out what to say, neither of us moving.

“Do you want to cuddle now?” Dan asks, voice quiet and uncertain.

I tell him yes, not knowing what else to do and follow him to our bedroom. I lie down on top of the covers and he follows suit, legs curling up and gaze directed towards our feet. His face is… shameful? I’m not sure, but I want to hold him and kiss him and tell him how much he means to me but I feel like he doesn’t want to be touched right now.

So many things are floating around in my mind I don’t know where to begin. I’ve been putting off asking about his master for far too long; knowing I wouldn’t like the answer but it seems like now I need to know.

I clear my throat, preparing myself for what my question is about to bring. “What did that man do to you?” My voice cracks, but as it finally leaves my mouth the rest flows with it. “He said there were others, too. Did they do the same thing? Did they hurt you?”

Dan shakes his head. “They couldn’t hurt me. Master didn’t program me to feel physical pain.”

I calm down but only a little, knowing he wasn’t hurt by his ‘master’. I slowly reach out my hand, placing it gently on his arm. “Tell me everything that man and the others did to you.”

Dan squeezes his legs tighter to his chest. “I don’t want you to know what they did to me.”

“Why?” My heart quickens, wondering if maybe they did hurt Dan but he doesn’t quite understand because he doesn’t know what pain feels like. My imagination starts to go to very dark places and I’m forced to focus before my anger rises again.

“I don’t want you to not like me anymore.”

I touch his cheek, bringing his face up to look at me. “Dan, I will never stop liking you no matter what you tell me. I know that whatever you did was because of your master. It’s only him that I’m mad at; never you.”

Dan eyes search over me for a moment, seeming to try to figure out if he can trust my words. His hand finds mine, pulling it off his face and holding it, giving him an excuse to avert his eyes from me as he speaks. “My Master saw me as… ‘valuable’.” He begins, “He installed me with various sexual programs then proceeded to rent me out for nights at a time. Most of my renters were more important people in society because I was ‘expensive hardware’ and Master charged a high price. I would either stay in my room with them or sometimes the renter would take me to their place. Afterwards, Master would clean me up and keep me in my room until I was needed by him or someone else came to rent me again.

“I wasn’t allowed outside in case someone tried to steal me and my room had no window so no one could see inside. It was just big enough for a bed and some other things because that was all I needed. I was never to mention my past renters to others and if I ever was to be stolen I was supposed to shut down and wipe my memory so no information could be obtained.”

He finishes and I’m left in utter shock. I never would have imagined something like this to have happened to Dan. He’s so innocent and shy; I can’t even think of him doing things with other men. The only time he’s done anything sexual was the first morning after I bought him when he woke me up with a blowjob. He was just so use to it that he did it automatically, never showing displeasure about it. It’s what he had been taught. Other than that, he was completely innocent. “There were really that many people out there willing to rent you?”

“They could use me in secret and in ways they couldn’t use their human partners; either because they were not willing or because it was illegal.”

My eyes burn, his words finally starting to sink in as I think about the abuse he went through for god knows how long. Probably nameless faces doing all kinds of sexual and degrading acts to my precious Dan; him not understanding that it was wrong. “But you weren’t willing, either!”

“Master told me to do whatever the men wanted me to do because it was what they paid for,” he states, “so I obeyed.”

“How could he do that to you?! You can’t just sell people! It’s illegal and wrong!”

“I’m not people.” He says, making my breath catch in my throat, “I’m a Persocom. I’m not human. It’s perfectly legal.”

I can’t speak, my chest so heavy I feel like I’m being suffocated. He’s right after all. He isn’t human. People are allowed to do what they please with their Persocoms and it’s totally fine. His Master passed Dan around as a sex slave to whoever would pay; thinking nothing of it because to him Dan was just another possession. Dan didn’t want to do those things; but his Master didn’t care. He probably didn’t even think Dan had any feelings; not that he’d ask. Dan was left to do what he was told.

I look at Dan and can tell immediately that he has feelings. He tells me all the time how he feels and what he wants and right now he feels ashamed. He didn’t want to tell me these things because he thought I wouldn’t want him anymore and it would make him sad. Lonely. Just like how he must have been before.

I can envision Dan sitting in his old room quietly on his bed with his hands folded, just like he used to when I first got him. He’d just sit there; waiting for his next ‘customer’ to use him. No other human contact other than to be used for someone else’s sick fantasies. There’s no telling what he was made to do.

Slowly, I pull my hand out of Dan’s grasp and wrap my arms around him, pulling him towards me as he straightens out his legs to come closer. I kiss his forehead, feeling his hands on my chest and legs tangled with mine. “To me, you are human.” It’s about time I told him. Call me crazy or stupid; I don’t care. Dan means everything to me. His curiosity and caring and willingness to learn didn’t come from programming it into him; it’s just how he is. He’s an amazing person, despite his anatomy.

“To you, I’m human? I’m… equal?”

“Yes.” I tell him, “I will never treat you poorly like your Master. I will never make you do something you don’t want to do. And I will always care about you; no matter what happened in your past.” That’s what you do when you truly care about someone. You accept them despite their flaws or baggage; because you want to be the one that makes them forget about all the wrong things that have happened to them and make them smile. It becomes your reason for living; and it’s surely become mine.

Dan looks up at me, face brighter. “Thank you.”

I hold him for a while longer, cherishing the moment of utter honesty between us. I wish I could make all the bad memories go away but I know they will be in his head forever; just like with humans.

“Do you want to just go watch a movie until bed time?”

He nods. “I’d like that.”

I lead him to the lounge, turning on Howl’s Moving Castle and cuddling him under the blanket. The best I can do for him right now is make him forget the bad times for the moment and hope to make so many new and happy memories with him that the bad ones don’t matter. The both of us watching movies together right now isn’t much, but it’s a start.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

We get the keyboard set up in record time, placing it in front of the window in our room. After grabbing some dining chairs and sitting down, I open the box for the learning software. It’s a small disc; about half the size of a CD and unlabeled. “So, how am I supposed to load this into you?”

“You just insert it into my disc drive and I’ll install the information.” He turns around to face away from me and starts pulling up his shirt, making me blush at his bare skin. His back panel opens, a crease down his spine that folds away and allows me to see endless cables, wires and blinking lights. It’s a bit of a shock, reminding me once again that he’s a Persocom, but it doesn’t bother me as much as I know it would have a month ago.

“Um…” I’m afraid to touch anything. All this technology stuff is too complicated. I might mess something up and have to call Tom.

“You should see a slot somewhere near the middle.” He tells me, neck craning to look back at me.

I lean a little closer and find the slot he’s talking about; around where his right lung should be. I gently push the disc into the slot and it slips right in. Beeping noises occur as the disc is read, Dan suddenly silent and stiff as he installs the program. I can’t help but peer around to look at his face, expressionless as the lights in his eyes dance in circles.

After a few moments, his eyes are normal again. “Download complete.” He smiles.

I take the disc out and store it back in the box as Dan lets his shirt back down. He rotates in his chair to face forward again, turning on the keyboard and messing with some dials like he’s done it a hundred times. His hands hover over the keys and I sit up in anticipation. “Any requests?”

“Hmmm, let’s start with Moonlight Sonata.” I suggest.

His hands move towards the lower end of the keyboard and begins to play. No music sheets or anything, just him and the keyboard. His fingers are precise and never miss a key, the classical piece filling the room and sending shivers down my spine. I watch as his smile grows the longer he plays and I place a hand on his back, rubbing softly as he lets out a small giggle. His face screws up for a moment but still doesn’t miss a beat. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what that sound was.”

“What, that you made?”

“Yes.” He breathes out a laugh again and seems so confused about it I end up laughing, too. It’s so little and higher pitch than his normal voice; it’s too adorable.

“Dan, it’s called laughing. You do it when you find something funny or you’re especially happy.”

“Well, I am very happy.” He says, pausing his playing and turning to me. “I’m happy I can make this music myself now.”

“And you can play any time you want.”

He nods, turning back to the keyboard and starting into Fleur Elise. His hands glide up and down the keyboard with ease and I find myself closing my eyes, leaning back in my chair and just enjoying the music that Dan is making.

After that score is done I sit back up, pulling my phone out of my pocket. “Hey, Dan, do you think you could play a song that I show you? Can you do that?”

“I think so.” I scroll through the music on my phone until I find the song I want and hit play, setting my phone down on the keyboard and letting Dan listen to it. He listens carefully, not moving as he takes in the notes.

Once it’s done he looks up at me. “This music seems familiar. Have I heard it before?”

“It’s called Interrupted by Fireworks. You probably heard it while I was playing Final Fantasy VII; though I don’t think I’ve played that since the first night after I bought you.” I haven’t play video games much since I got Dan; instead spending an increasing amount of time with him.

“It’s a very nice song.” He turns back to the piano and before I know it he’s recreating the very same melody I just played for him perfectly.

I’m mesmerized by him; his fingers dancing over the keys and I don’t notice I’m crying until I feel a tear stream down my cheek. It’s amazing how such a simple thing as music can bring you to tears. Sometimes you don’t even know why. It’s like the music flows into you and touches your heart without you even realizing and before you know it you’re choked up from either happiness or sadness and you can’t explain it.

Dan glances over at me and he stops. “Phil, I’m sorry. Did I make you sad?”

“No, no. Quite the opposite.” I sniff. “I’m just so happy for you and you’re piano playing is so beautiful it’s all a bit too much.”

“Humans cry when they’re happy as well as sad?”

“Yeah, we’re weird like that.” I laugh and to my surprise he lets out a small laugh as well. “You’re so cute when you laugh.”

Dan looks down at his hands, smiling. “Thank you.” He’s quiet a moment, then looks back up at me, “And thank you for letting me learn to play.”

“You’re welcome, Da-“ I’m silenced by Dan pressing his lips to mine. I’m so stunned by the action it takes me a moment to kiss him back; my hand meeting his cheek. He’s never done this before and the thought of him wanting to kiss me makes butterflies shoot through my stomach. I let him control the kiss, matching his slow and gentle pecks carefully so he’s comfortable.

After a minute, he breaks away, looking up at me with his dark brown eyes that make my mind blank. “I hope my piano playing keeps making you happy like it does me.” He says.

My thumb brushes his cheek, planting a kiss on his forehead. “Don’t worry,” I assure him, “anything you do makes me happy.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I feel a hand on my cheek and I open my eyes to Dan, brushing my hair away from my face. I smile at him groggily, “Good morning.”

His eyes brighten and he returns my smile. “Good morning.” His eyes knit together in confusion, “I felt the need to see your face clearer. I’m not sure why.”

I scoot over to him, pulling him so close our noses touch and brushing my fingers through his hair. I can see every little freckle on his face and the thin ring of black around his eyes; every little detail and imperfection in his face and I love them all.

Dan frowns. “Are you ok, Phil? Your heart is pounding harder than usual.”

“Yeah, it’s been doing that lately.” I kiss his nose, “But it’s a good thing.”

“As long as you’re ok.” He smiles, moving his head up to kiss me, which I quickly welcome. His little pecks turn to long, drawn out kisses, making me hum against his mouth. He breaks away for a moment, looking into my eyes before moving back to my mouth, tongue barely licking at my bottom lip. I let him continue, his tongue faltering before fully taking over my mouth, exploring and tasting.

I soon find myself being gently pushed onto my back, our lips not losing connection. I feel Dan’s leg move over my lap, tail of my dress shirt he’s wearing tickling my skin, and it’s not until he’s climbed on top of me that I feel the need to pull away. “Dan, where is this leading?”

Dan sits up, weight shifting and pressing down on my lap. He doesn’t answer, just keeps looking down at my stomach. “Dan… Did you think I’d want to?” It’s not like I wouldn’t want to; but I don’t want him doing it because of that.

He nods and I sigh, leaning up on my elbows. “Dan, look at me.”

He does and I cup his cheek, giving him a reassuring smile. “I only want to if you want to. After what you’ve been through, I wouldn’t be surprised if you never want to have sex again; and that’s fine. If and when we ever have sex, it will be with your full consent and when you’re ready to.”

He seems to take what I said in, processing it before speaking. “Do you remember when you first told me what a boyfriend was?”

“Yeah.” That was a while ago; when Dan was just starting to break out of his shell.

“You said that one of the things couples do is make love.”

I bite my lip, wanting to slap my past self. “I did, yes, but I shouldn’t have. It’s not important.”

“I know it is.” Dan pipes up, “It’s what couples do all the time when they really care about each other and it’s a way of making each other feel good and be happy.”

“Dan, I don’t want you to think you’re ‘obligated’ to have sex because we’re together. Making love is an equal experience that we should both enjoy.” I don’t want him pressured into anything. I always want him to make his own choices and do things he wants. “I want to make you happy, not sad or upset. Remember that.”

“So, if I wanted to have sex, you would make love to me?” He seems shy to say it, looking down again.

“Yes, I would.” My thumb brushing over his skin, “I would be as gentle as can be and do anything you wanted to make you happy.”

“Even though I’m a Persocom?”

Is that what’s holding him back? He thinks I wouldn’t want to because of what he is? “You know that doesn’t bother me.” I’ve long since gotten use to his cable ports and the fact that I have to take care of him differently than a human. It’s just part of who he is and I accept it.

“Then I want to.” He looks down at me, eyes the most serious I’ve ever seen them and I can already feel my body rushing to go.

“Are you sure? If we do, you can stop at any time. Don’t think I’ll be upset or something.”

Dan covers his mouth with his sleeve, making me wish he was capable of blushing so I could see his cheeks turn a rosy color. “I want you to make me feel the way human lovers feel. I want to feel good because of you and I want to make you feel good, too.”

I let out a long breath, leaning back down to rest on the bed. The sight of Dan on top of me, asking me to make love to him, makes me want to flip him onto the bed right now and have my way with him. He’s so gorgeous, the light from the ceiling shining down behind him and making him look absolutely heavenly. How could anyone look at him and treat him cruelly? It boggles my mind and makes me worry for humanity that there’s someone out there capable of it.

My hands slowly find Dan’s bare legs, rubbing up and down, his skin smooth and slightly darker compared to mine. “I want to make you feel good, too. I want you to enjoy sex, since you never got to before.”

Dan’s mouth turns up in a smile, gripping my shirt and pulling it up a bit. “It’ll be with you; so I know I’ll enjoy it.”

His words go straight south, but I try to control myself. “First things first, though: about your, uh, power button?” Were we even able to have sex like that? I wouldn’t want to hit it during…

“I can deactivate it for a set amount of time so it can be pressed and nothing will happen.” He explains.

“Good to know.” I clear my throat, looking down at our connecting laps, the lack of space between us distracting. “What about, um… Well… you said you had your own… body fluids?” This is such a weird thing to talk about, but it’s best to get it out of the way now.

“Yes, I still have a lot left. I didn’t use them often.”

I raise an eyebrow at him.

“The point of my customers… wasn’t really about my pleasure.”

I nod, understanding and not wanting him to have to keep talking about it. “Well, I’ll have to make sure you use them all up, wont I?” I smirk.

He giggles, pushing his hands up my shirt more. He leans down to kiss me and I let myself be taken away by it, his hands exploring my chest. My hands find the buttons on his shirt, undoing them clumsily as I feel his legs squeeze against my sides. I slip the shirt off his shoulders and toss it aside, taking in his bare chest as I bite my lip.

Dan tugs at my shirt and I sit up, letting him pull it over my head. Once off, I kiss him gently, making my way down his jawline. His hand meets the back of my neck and I hear the quietest hum from him, making me smile. I kiss his neck, collarbones, shoulders, every bit of skin I can reach at this angle. I start to go lower until I reach his nipple, grazing my tongue over it and earning a yelp. I look up at him, asking if it’s ok. He just nods, fingers tangling in my hair more. I lick again and his back curves, my fingers tracing down his spine.

I hold him close to me as I let my fingers dip lower, hand going into his underwear and caressing over his ass. “Dan,” I say, wanting to distract him a little bit as my middle finger comes to his entrance. “What do you think would be the most comfortable for you?”

He realizes where my fingers are going and he tenses up, hugging me tighter. “I’m not sure…” I press my finger in and he whimpers, muffled as his chin is in my shoulder.

“I just want you to be in full control.” I remind him, “Would you… want to ride me?”

My finger goes deeper, Dan pressing into me more and for the first time I hear a genuine moan from him, my cock throbbing in response. After a moment, he nods.

I tell him to kneel up so I can take my pyjama bottoms off and I lean over to throw them onto the floor. As I face him again his hand comes to my chest, pushing me back and I lie down. My erection lays flat on my stomach and Dan’s hand goes to it, finger going from tip to base and I cover my mouth as a moan slips out. He looks down at me, as he properly grabs me, slender fingers wrapping around and slowly moving up and down. His movements are so natural and smooth I have to try not to buck up into him.

He starts to flick his wrist faster and I feel my heat rising, fingers gripping his legs tight but trying not to scratch. He bites his lip, looking down at my cock and moving his hips in time with his hand.

“Dan,” I half laugh, half breathe, “slow down there.” I grab his hand and move it away from me, lacing our fingers a moment, not wanting to be done too soon. I tug at his underwear and he leans up so I can take them off. I see that he’s quite hard, making me wonder just what the mechanics behind that is but not worrying about it right now. My hands find his ass again as I get ready to help him up but my finger grazes over a groove. “What’s that?”

I lean to the side, Dan looking too, as I see a small crescent shaped dent on his ass cheek. Dan glances at me, “It’s from one of my customers.”

“What happened?” I ask, thumb tracing over the mark.

Dan seems to hesitate in answering, “A somewhat disturbed man came in and rented me for a night. While we were… in the middle of things, he pulled out a knife, saying he wanted to see me bleed. He cut me. When I obviously didn’t bleed he got mad and hit me in the head and I shut down. When I was started up again I was in your apartment.”

So that’s what happened to Dan that messed up his memory banks. A blow to the head could easily damage him and corrupt his data. My poor Dan… “That man was horrible.” I tell him, brushing his cheek before flashing him a smile, “You know what, though? Even humans have marks like this called scars. If anything, it makes you more human like.”

Dan smiles, coming down to kiss me. As I twirl my tongue around his he raises his hips, his hand reaching behind to guild my dick to his entrance. I hold my breath as he starts to come down, my tip pushing inside him and the feeling is amazing. He breaks our lip lock and moans in my ear, pressing down until his ass meets my hips. He stays there a moment and I swear he’s shaking. “Are you ok? Is it too much?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t feel pain.” He reminds me. “It just feels really good.” He starts to move, slowly bringing his hips back up then down. I resist the urge to guide him, letting him go at his own pace and eventually he speeds up. His ass is tight around me, warm and slick. I bite my knuckle, groaning as he rolls his hip into me, an expletive leaving my mouth.

“Fuck, Dan…” I whimper as he almost hops up and down, mouth hanging open and my hand goes to his dick to stroke it. His eyes are half-lidded in bliss and I can’t think of a better sight than his face right now. He clenches his ass and I feel really close, taking control for the first time and moving to flip us over, holding him to me tight and rolling him onto his back. He looks up at me, mouth trying to form words but ends up shaking his head, arms reaching up towards my neck. I lean down and he quickly wraps his arms around me.

He gasps as I thrust into him, legs constricting around my waist and I can tell he’s close as well. I nibble his neck then graze my teeth across his perky nipples, him moaning much louder now. “Phil, I-I’m going to cum.” He can barely get the words out before his eyes roll back, white liquid shooting over his stomach.

I feel the tightening below my stomach reach its peak and at the last moment I pull out, my cum making a mess on the sheet but I don’t care. I rest my head on his chest and let my breathing slow, head fuzzy from my high. I feel Dan’s hand on my head and then his lips, making me sit up and he reaches to the nightstand for some tissue. I insist on him letting me clean us up and he hands me the box, wiping us off then finally collapsing next to him.

He rolls on to his side, resting his head in the crook of my arm and draping his arm and leg over me.

“What did you think?” I ask, fingers combing through his hair.

“It was unlike all the other times. Every move you made I know you made with care and it felt so much better.”

I smile, kissing his forehead. “I’m glad. I hope I made you happy then.”

He smiles the biggest smile, dimples showing. “You did. I’m very happy.”

I reach down and pull the duvet on top of us, snuggling together and enjoying each other’s warmth. “I honestly can’t think of any other place I’d rather be or anyone else I’d rather be with than right here and with you.”

Dan giggles. “I’m just glad I got to make you happy and feel good, too. I want to more often if that’s ok.”

I pat his head, grinning. “That’s definitely ok.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

Dan and I exit the theater, having just gone to see The Empty Town. Dan had seen adverts for it on TV and asked if we could go see it when it was out and of course I said yes. I’d been trying to figure out a good date plan soon, so going to see a movie was simple yet perfect.

I throw the remains of my popcorn in the trash on our way out, Dan grabbing my hand once it’s free. “So, did you like the movie?”

“I did!” he jumps up and down, ear flaps on his hat bouncing. “It’s everything I thought it would be!”

I laugh, his cheerful smile making my heart flip. “Well, we’ll have to buy it when it’s out and have a movie night at home.”

“Definitely!”

We start heading home but I have other plans, turning towards the park. “It’s a nice night out. Do you want to go for a walk before we just go to bed?”

He happily agrees, “I hope there are still ducks in the pond at this time of night. I like watching them swim around.”

I tell him well have to check as we pass through the archway to the park, almost like a ghost town with no children running around it; the swings creaking in the breeze. We walk towards the far end of the park, passing over the bridge where Dan has to stop and look for fish. He loves looking at animals. We’ve even been debating getting a pet soon, but Dan can’t decide on which one he wants the most.

We finally make it to the pond, Dan letting go of my hand to run down to the bank. There actually are some ducks on the other side of the pond that Dan tries to coo over but with no luck. “Can we come back tomorrow with some bread for them?” He asks, waving at the ducks.

“After work, yeah.”

He leans closer to the edge, not giving up on trying to get the ducks to our side. “Don’t fall in.” I warn.

“I won’t.” He sits on his heels, fingers making little waves in the water to lure the ducks.

I come to sit next to him, watching the reflected light from the water on his face. I think I like him best like this; him not even knowing I’m looking at him yet he still acts so… human. It reassures me that he really has grown and blossomed as a person. I still remember when I first saw him all those months ago, to me just something to buy sitting on a workbench. Never in a million years would I have guessed I’d fall in love with him.

No more does he blindly obey orders or feel the need to ask permission for every little thing. If I ask him to do something he’ll let me know if he doesn’t want to, and he’ll pipe up with his opinion without me even having to ask.

He’s learned so much about being himself and expressing himself, too. Every day now I come home and he’ll be playing the piano. Sometimes he’ll hear me come in and the pitter patter of feet will replace the music, him jumping into my arms. Other times I’ll quietly close the door and sneak in behind him, Dan being too engrossed in playing to notice me. He’s learned so many classic pieces and new and he’s even working on a few of his own. It’s the funniest thing when we’ll be watching TV or something and he’ll just jump up and run to the piano, quickly writing down a few notes that he just came up with.

We’ve also grown as a couple. We’re completely comfortable with each other now; past any and all self-conscious barriers. I still leave any kind of intimacy up to him. I never ask him for sex, but he’s gotten more and more use to it. He even voices what feels good and different things he wants to try. Most nights, though, he just likes cuddling. It’s his favorite thing to do, wrapping his arms and legs around me and squeezing. It’s the best feeling in the world.

One of the ducks finally notices Dan, swimming over and Dan’s face lights up leaning out over the water.

“Dan, be care-“ Dan loses his balance, arms flailing as he starts to tip into the water. I quickly grab him, pulling him back and both of us landing on our bums. The duck gets scared off, flying back over to its family and we watch as they all take off into the night sky. “Told you.” I laugh.

He sticks his bottom lip out at me, obviously bummed he couldn’t play with the duck. I smile, kissing the top of his head. “We’ll definitely see them up close tomorrow, ok?”

“Ok.” He grins, soured mood gone, just like that.

I pause to admire his eyes, shining even in the dim light and looking right back at me. I feel my heart skip and palms sweat, knowing I should say it now. I know he’ll feel the same. Why wouldn’t he? Still, there’s that little voice in the back of my head that whispers doubt no matter how confident I am.

“Phil, is something wrong?” He cocks his head.

I let out the breath I was holding, not letting my nerves shake me. “No, Dan. Everything’s great.” I tell him as I reach into my pocket.

“Phil?” I hear from behind us and I turn around, looking to the figure standing under the lamppost up on the pathway. His face is cast in shadow until he takes a step forward.

“Gary? What are you doing here?” I stand up, brushing myself off and walking back up to the pavement.

“I was just on my way home from the bar and thought it’d be faster if I cut through the park.” As I get closer to him I can indeed smell the alcohol on his breath, making me wonder why he’s drinking on a work night, but it’s none of my business. “How about you?”

“Oh, I was at the movies with Dan.” I gesture behind me, thinking that Dan had followed me like always, but I see that he’s still over by the pond. “Dan, come on up here.”

He shakes his head, not budging.

“Dan?” Gary says, stepping forward, squinting for a moment before his eyebrows raise in surprise. “Wow, I didn’t recognize you with that hat on. Thought that shop would’ve scrapped you.”

“What?” I look at Gary a moment, wondering if it’s his late night drinks talking, then walk back to Dan. “Dan, what’s wrong?” I wrap my arm around him and find he’s shaking. He just grabs my shirt, not saying a peep.

I face Gary, who has now followed us down the embankment but as he gets closer Dan moves himself behind me and I raise my hand for Gary to stop. “What’s going on? You know Dan?”

Was Gary another one of Dan’s customers? Someone I actually work with daily and have respect for? It can’t be. Gary’s a professional news anchor; he wouldn’t be tied up in some Persocom sex-slave scandal. He must have seen Dan in the shop when Tom was working on Dan or something.

Gary shrugs. “Yeah, I owned him a while back.”

My brain almost doesn’t register, not wanting to believe my ears. “You were his previous master?”

“Yup.”

Blood rushes in my ears, teeth clenching and before I know it my fist is flying at Gary, decking him right on his jaw and sending him to the ground. He falls with a dull thud and he holds his jaw, eyes boring into me. “What the hell?!”

I move to stand over him, fist shaking at my sides as I try to not pummel him. “You were the one that- You passed him around and sold him off as a sex slave!”

“I don’t even know how he still has data on me, but yeah, so? I made a lot of good money off of him!” he admits, “Then some customer had to be too rough with him and the cost to fix him wasn’t worth it.”

“How could you do that to him?” I point to Dan, now holding himself as he stares at the scene Gary and I are making. “You used him then just threw him away!”

Gary grunts as he sits up, moving his jaw back and forth. “That’s what you do with useless junk, you idiot. Without the software I needed he was just a hunk of metal and wires.”

“He’s more than that! He didn’t want to do those things! He has feelings!”

Gary bursts into laughter, struggling to stand up, then shakes his head at me. “So, you’re one of those people who treats their appliances like a person.”

“He is a person.”

“He’s a Persocom.”

“I know that, but Persocoms can be just like people. It’s not about what he is, it’s who he is that matters.” Why can Gary not see? Dan is amazing; if Gary had spent the time while he owned him he could have known that, too. “Dan is everything to me. He’s understands me just like a person and cares about me and I care about him.”

Gary’s face screws up in disgust. “You’re willing to be with a… a thing?”

I take a step forward, ready to punch him again. “He’s not a thing!”

“Oh, yeah?” Gary moves to the side, looking behind me. “’Cherry’.”

“What?” I turn to look back at Dan and gasp, running to catch him as he starts to fall. He flops into my arms, lifeless, eyes still open but now black pits. No beautiful dark brown color or lights. I look up at Gary, a small smirk on his busted lips. “What did you do to him?!”

“Huh, it was worth a shot and it looks like he had more data left on me than I thought.” He boasts, crossing his arms. “It’s the little password I assigned him in case anything came between me and him. One word and it’s complete shut down.”

I feel my anger rising again, wanting to tear Gary apart but I turn my attention to Dan, brushing his hair off his face. “Dan, come on. Wake up.” I shake him, trying to make him come back to me but all it does is jostle his head on my arm and make tears brim over my eyes.

“See, Phil?” Gary spats, “In the end, he’s just a piece of junk.”

I ignore him, knowing it’s not true. I pull out my phone, almost calling 999 out of panic but instead call Tom, thankful I put his number in my contacts. I count the rings until he finally picks up, voice groggy. “Mmmhello?”

“Tom!” I blurt, “Dan shut down! I don’t know what to do!”

“Phil? Do you know what time it is?” he yawns, “What do you mean shut down?”

“Something happened and he just shut down!” I say, watching Gary who is already heading off down the pavement, obviously not caring anymore to stick around now that he’s proven his point. “He’s not moving or responding and even his eyes are open.” Which makes it all seem worse; making him look like a dead body. He might be. Is shutting down the same as dying? My heart hurts it’s beating so fast.

“Alright, calm down.” Tom tries to console me, but it does no good. “I can come pick him up and have a look at him.”

“I’m at Snyder Park.”

“Stay there and I’ll be there in just a bit.”

“Thank you so much.” I hang up and shove my phone away, hand hitting the little box in my pocket and making the tears come more. I brush my hand over his cheek, his skin already losing its heat. “Dan, please, wake up.” My voice cracks. I keep talking to him, hoping he’d just wake up and smile at me just like every morning, but he doesn’t. I even press my lips to his, but when he doesn’t kiss me back I feel all the more worse. “Dan, please… I love you…”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

I pace back and forth in the back of Tom’s shop, watching as he tinkers around inside Dan’s operating systems. He’s spread out all over the table; wires hanging off the sides and chest open, revealing his main power supply. The top of his head is completely off and set aside, Tom peering into it and poking around with pliers. “It’s odd that he hasn’t turned back on. If you gave him the order to wake up he should have.”

“I did!” I shout, earning a look from Tom and I mumble sorry. I may be on edge but I don’t need to take things out on the person trying to help me. I feel the need to punch something but my knuckles still hurt from punching Gary only a little while ago.

Tom goes back to his work. “Something must have gone wrong after he shut down.”

“He was told to shut down.” I explain, running my fingers through my hair. “We ran into his previous owner and he said some kind of password and it made him shut down.”

Tom raises an eyebrow. “It may have been a kill switch password.” Tom yanks on his pliers and lets out a breath, pulling a small chip out of Dan’s head; blackened and melted around the corners. “Yup, it was. Not only did it shut him down but it simultaneously destroyed the memory chip so no data could be obtained.”

I come up to the table, needing to lean on something before I fall over. “So, you’re saying he lost his data?”

“From his main memory chip, yes.” Tom turns the chip between his fingers, assessing the damage.

I can’t believe this. This just can’t be happening. All of our times together: gone. Just like that. “No, there must be a way to recover them. There has to be.”

“Well, have you been making a backup file for his data?”

I stare at Tom blankly. “A what?”

Tom sighs. “I’ll take that as a ‘no’. If you want to ensure you don’t lose any programs you install in him or anything you’re supposed to order him to save it in his backup files as well.”

“I-I never knew.” If I did I wouldn’t have to be freaking out right now. He’d be safe. God, how could I be so careless? There’s still so many things I have to learn about Persocoms but I’ve been wrapped up in so many other things. Yes, I wanted to spend time with Dan, but his well-being is important. I should have known these things before this happened. “What about the password thing? I didn’t know you could do that.”

“You can use passwords to lock down certain data or utter them to give certain commands. If we get him back up and running you should set up a password so that you’re his sole user; that way no one else can use a password on him.”

I nod, making sure to remember that later, then I pause, realizing what he just said. “What do you mean ‘if’?”

Tom hesitates, setting the chip down on the table and crossing his arms. “I can’t promise you that I can get him back to normal.”

“Check his backup! What if he did backup information? There could be something there!” He can’t just be gone. You can’t just wipe a person off the face of the planet.

“If you never ordered him to backup data, there won’t be any.”

“He could have done it on his own.” I protest, “He thought for himself.”

Tom sighs, then reaches for a device on the wall, pulling a cord out of it and plugging the end into Dan’s cable port. He looks down at the screen on the gadget, lots of numbers and coding that I don’t know how to make out. The numbers stop moving and Tom’s brows furrow in confusion. “Huh… It looks like he did try to backup a large amount of files just a few seconds before total shut down.”

I let out a nervous laugh, hand grabbing Dan’s arm. I knew he’d pull through. He wouldn’t just leave me like that. “So, he’ll be ok.”

“Hang on, Phil.” Tom sits up, scrolling through the info on his screen. “This data was backed up while it was also being deleted. A lot of it is just fragments. There’s no telling if it’ll be usable or just jumbled data.”

My hope starts to fade again, hand moving to grab Dan’s. My fingers lace with his but his hand is stiff against mine, cold.

“It must also be why I’m having trouble rebooting him.” Tom continues, “There’s just so much fragmented and corrupted data that his O.S. won’t turn back on in case it damages that as well. It’s a safety mechanism. I had the same problem when he first came in, remember? I almost had to get him a whole new memory chip because he wouldn’t turn on with the one he had. Even after you said you’d take him with the corrupted data, I had to clean up a lot and then defrag again to make sure.”

“Can’t you just do that again?” I ask, eyes burning. “Even if there’s just a little data left in the end…”

Tom looks down at my hand holding Dan’s, seeming to understand the situation in a new light. “Look… I’ll try to clean up his memory files as much as I can. You can even take him home and let him run around with just his default functions while I do so, if it’ll make you feel a little better.” Tom unplugs his device and sets it aside, standing up and placing a hand on my shoulder, making me look at him. “But I just can’t promise you anything. I’m sorry.”

I look him in the eyes and I can tell he really does sympathize with me. Maybe he’s lost a loved one before? Or maybe he just knows what it’s like to love someone so much you wouldn’t be the same without them? I turn back to Dan one more time, his face serene and gorgeous as always. If there’s just a 1% chance that I can get him back, it’s enough for me to hold on to. “It’s worth a try.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

Dan serves us tea, setting the mugs in front of Chris and I. It’s been a week since Tom’s been working on Dan’s memory chip and backup files and I’ve been trying to not call him up every hour to see how he’s progressing. Even though I can see Dan walking around the apartment and cleaning and such, it’s just not Dan. It’s a service robot with his face. It’s empty.

This whole house has felt empty since I brought the ‘temporary’ Dan back. No greetings when I get home from my new job with Chris, seeing as I punched a coworker in the face from my old job and I wouldn’t have been able to return anyway after knowing what he did. Working at the gallery is alright, although a little boring. I really shouldn’t complain seeing as Chris took me right in with only a few days’ notice.

There’s also no sitting together watching movies. I tried but he literally just sat there, stiff as a board and staring at the screen. I’ve been ordering a lot of take-away recently, too. The sight of Dan back in the kitchen brings up too many emotions and memories of us cooking together. He’d always teach me what herbs go best with things and I’d always make a mess whereas he was always precise and perfect.

I think the most heart-wrenching sign that Dan isn’t the same is the silence. He can’t play his piano now. He doesn’t know how and his default processor doesn’t have to capacity to be installed with the piano software. It makes the flat eerily quiet; the music that Dan always made and that meant he was his very own person is no longer there. I tried showing him how to play, placing his hands on the keys and mimicking what little notes I knew, but it wasn’t the same. It was passionless.

I tried to hold out until Tom brought Dan’s memory back, but I ended up having to call Chris up for some company. As soon as he got here he knew I was a wreck and I finally had to explain what’s been going on. At first he thought I was crazy, asking me all kinds of questions about how I could fall in love with a Persocom and more importantly why I didn’t tell him sooner. “It’s one thing to worry about what strangers will think of you; but a whole other thing to worry about your friends.” I admit.

Chris just shakes his head, taking a sip of tea. “Well, I’ll say one thing. I was right.”

“About what?”

“It looks like he did cause you trouble in the end.”

“Don’t say that.” I try not to sound angry, knowing that Chris just doesn’t understand. “It was all worth it.”

Chris sets his tea down, resting his elbows on his knees. “I just don’t want you to stay caught up on this in case… well, in case things don’t turn out.” His face lightens, “I’m worried about you.”

“And I’m worried about Dan.” I remind him, “I miss him… I miss his smile, his curiosity, his piano playing.”

“You taught him piano?” Chris sounds surprised, “Is he good?”

“Yeah,” I tell him, Chris showing interest in Dan for the first time. “He’s even been writing his own pieces.”

Chris stares down at his tea, pondering. “I’ve been wanting someone to play piano in the gallery… Maybe… if things turn out, he could come with you to work sometimes and we’ll see what he can do.”

“Chris…” I know he’s trying to cheer me up even though he just doesn’t get how I feel, but I still appreciate it. “Thank you.”

He just half smiles, shrugging.

The doorbell rings and I excuse myself to go get it. I peer out the eye hole and gasp, quickly whipping the door open.

Tom looks like he’s lost sleep, eyes heavy with shadows under them. He holds up a small plastic case, smiling weakly. “I’m done.”

I usher him in, leading him to the living room as my heart races. Everything comes down to this. The moment of truth and whether or not I’ll get my Dan back or if he’s gone for good.

I call for Dan and he comes out of the kitchen, stopping in front of me with blank eyes. “I am done with the dishes.”

“Good, Dan, come sit over here.” I point to the sofa and he sits down, hands in his lap and staring forward. I kneel down in front of him, holding his hands in my own. I know he won’t hold them back, but I need some kind of support right now. I feel like I’m going to faint.

Tom tells Dan to sit back a bit as he comes around to the back of the sofa, leaning over the back. Dan does so and Tom opens up his head, Dan’s eyes closing as Tom looks inside.

Tom lets out a sigh, looking almost as nervous as I feel. He takes the chip out of its case, and looks at me. “I transferred as much as I could from his burnt chip and backup files to a new one and was able to clean out all of the fragmented data. All that’s left is a few bytes.”

I swallow and nod, hoping it’s enough. Tom carefully reaches into Dan’s head, pushing the chip in with a click. Once done, he gives everything a once-over before closing Dan’s head up again, taking a step back.

“Alright.” Tom nods.

I look at Dan, the words to wake him up on the tip of my tongue. What if he turns on and he’s the same as just a minute ago, just a blank doll. I don’t think my heart could take it.

“You have to try.” Chris says and I glance at him. “If he means that much to you, you have to try.”

I squeeze Dan’s hands tight, hoping that somehow, somewhere in Dan’s brain there’s just a small memory of me. Anything to build on. Even if there’s no memory of me, at least maybe something of his personality. If he’s the same person as before, we could fall in love all over again, right?

I take a deep breath, then finally make myself speak. “Dan, wake up.”

Dan’s eyes flutter open as the whirring and beeping sounds come from within. The lights in his eyes scan over, processing the new memory chip. After a moment, he looks down at me, eyes unwavering. “I am done with the dishes.” He tells me.

My heart hits the floor, my world crumbling. He doesn’t remember me. He doesn’t remember us.

My head falls into his lap, still squeezing his hands as my tears fall onto his legs. He’s gone. My love, my inspiration, my life. My Dan. Gone forever. Memory torn to pieces and then deleted. He went through so much because of human arrogance and superiority. I just wanted to make the rest of his life better. I wanted him to find meaning in his existence. I wanted him to give my life meaning. Now I’ll never get him back.

“Is it cuddle time?”

My head springs up, jaw dropping. “W-what?”

A small smile appears on his face, eyes twinkling down at me with the same look that I got so use to waking up to every morning. “When I’m done with all my chores, its cuddle time, right?”

I jump up and pull him to my chest and I feel his arms wrapping around me, embracing me warmly just like he always does. Dan remembers. He remembers one of the best things we shared. The thing that bridged the gap between us and made him start to trust me when he could never trust a human before. It was his favorite thing to do with me.

“Yes, Dan. It’s cuddle time.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil is finally able to get his own Persocom, but his purchase turns out to be a little more than he bargained for. He soon finds himself falling in love and questioning just what it means to be human.

“Phil?” I turn around to see Dan, coming down the hall. He’s been cleaning around our room and told me to keep out until he was done so I wouldn’t be in the way. I’d told him I could help him but he refused, saying it was his job; that he felt like he needed to. He’s as stubborn as always when it comes to cleaning.

“Yes?”

Dan comes up to me, standing just in front of me and biting his lip. His hands are behind his back and it takes him a moment to finally bring them out, holding a small black box. “What’s this?”

I look at the black velvet in his hands, “Did you find that in my closet?”

Dan nods, looking down at his feet. “Sorry for being nosey, I just…”

I shake my head and reach out my arms, prompting him to come sit on my lap sideways as I wrap an arm around his waist and take the box from him. “Did you look inside?”

Another nod, arms holding his own legs under his knees. I open the box, revealing the small silver ring inside. I remember when I first picked it out just under a year ago, when everything seemed so simple and set in stone. I had been so nervous the days following the purchase, wondering just how I was supposed to ask him.

I adjust Dan on my lap, setting the box down on his leg and pulling it out of its setting. “Give me your hand.”

Dan does so, fingers apart so I can easily fit the ring onto him. Dan holds up his hand, eyes scanning over the foreign object. “Is this something from our past?”

“It was meant to be.” As soon as Dan had gotten his memory back I sat him down and told him what had happened. I told him about us and what we had shared together and that I was not going to pressure him into making it happen again but that I did want him to try to get who he was back. He didn’t quite understand at first; a lot of confusing thoughts going around in his brain. He could see fragments of memories or odd feelings whenever he came across something that pertained to us, like his fuzzy hat collecting dust on the coat rack or the ticket stubs from The Empty Town. “I was going to give it to you the same night that the accident happened.”

“The accident that broke me?” The only thing I haven’t told him is the details of the accident and about his former master. If there’s one good thing that came out of Dan losing his memory is that he lost all memory of his time before me.

Dan looks closer at the ring, eyebrows furrowing. “A ring like this is supposed to symbolize a bond between two people; that they will stay together for the rest of their lives.”

“Yes, it does.” I reply, my hand coming up to brush the fringe out of Dan’s face. “I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Dan shifts on my lap, turning towards me more. “Because you loved me?”

“Yes.” I smile, “I still do.”

His eyes turn downward, playing with the ring on his finger. “But… I still haven’t regained all my memories yet…”

“That doesn’t matter.” I tell him, “It’ll give us a chance to relive them and even make new ones. That is, if you want.”

Dan nods but still seems down. “I do.”

I lift his chin to look at me. “But?”

“I worry that we won’t be the same as before.”

I sigh, pulling him towards me and gently placing a kiss to his forehead. “We can make things even better. Don’t worry about what you and I did before.” I grab his hand, pushing my fingers between his. “I’ve fallen in love with you all over again.”

Dan’s eyes widen, lips parting in disbelief. “Really?”

“Really.”

Dan bites his lip again before leaning forward, pressing his lips to mine. We’ve rarely kissed since his memory loss, still building up our connection again, but once in a while I slip. I’ll see him doing something that’s so… Dan, like when he plays one of his own piano pieces at Chris’s gallery or teaches me new stuff while we cook together; I’ll momentarily forget everything and feel like nothing has changed, grabbing him up and kissing him deeply. He never stops me, but sometimes when I get a little too into it he’ll say my name and I’ll be brought back to reality, stepping back and apologizing. He’ll just smile and say he understands.

Dan pulls away, looking over me with a grin. “I love you, too.”

Three little words that I’ve waited so long to hear. I’ve said them so many times to him, feeling like I can never say it enough, and now he’s finally spoken them to me. My heart has never beaten faster. I kiss him again, his arms wrapping around my neck. This warm, magical feeling of him against me is all I need in my life. This is my home. “How about you keep the ring, ok?”

Dan tightens his grip around my neck. “Does that mean…?”

I just smile. “It means I’ll have to get a ring, too.”

Dan, for the first time in ages, giggles, covering his mouth. The sound fills my chest and steals my breath. “Thank you, Phil.”

“For what?”

“For making me feel truly human.”


End file.
